Miscellania

"Books make you a glutton for life"

Today is a day of catching up on my review writing, my laundry and hopefully, some reading. Busy hardly begins to describe these days! Insane weather, college visits/auditions, competitions and work, not to mention the usual family obligations, have been taking up so much time. They are also quite exhausting. 

Today I finally finished a long over due review of Above by Isla Morley: I started it weeks ago, but due to that travelling, it fell by the wayside, and i feel terrible about it, since I had so much to say.  I was happy to see the book in person at work (at Books a Million), several copies in fact. Very pretty cover!

I actually enjoyed this book, a dystopian novel, one of my favorite genres that I have not been getting enough of lately. There were a few problems with the plot, but nothing I couldn't get past, with the decent writing. That's always a relief.

I also finished The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman, which was alright; certainly not my favorite book of the year, but it ended better than I expected it to. I felt similarly about Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole, (a tad precious was my pronouncement at book group); it was okay, glad I read it, since I do enjoy epistolary novels, but this one was a bit preposterous at times. Both these books were for one of my book groups. I suggested the next book, The Collector by John Fowles. I am really looking forward to it, but I am stopping myself from reading it right now, until I finish the group of books I'm reading now!  Those books are Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings, Ann Patchett's This is the Story of a Happy Marriage (a collection of previously published essays and articles), and a DTB ARC called I Shall be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe, and is set in the Civil War.

I am so fortunate that I have so many books to read and review these days! Some new ARCs from work, quite a few electronic ARCs from NetGalley, and the usual array of books for book group and my own pleasure (I get pleasure from all of them, don't get me wrong!). Currently, my other book group, the one I've been in for almost 18 years, is just not fitting into my schedule, with my return to work and the kids' hectic schedules. Hopefully I can make a return this summer, or at least for the book they chose with me in mind!

I also wanted to share a link to a delightful list of 5 Reading Rules for Book Lovers of All Ages from Book Riot's Rebecca Schinsky.  In short, they are:

1. Never let someone tell you you read too much.
2. Love what you love.
3. You don't have to read what everyone else is reading.
4. Let books make your world bigger.
5. Know that there's no wrong way to read and now wrong reading for reading.

I just LOVE these rules and this is my favorite article of the week!  She has some fabulous insight, so please go and read further. (That's where the quote at the top of this post is from!)